What's On in Memphis
Events, markets, games, library and parks programs in and around Memphis, with times, prices and the organizer's own link.
Top story
Arts and exhibitions in Memphis: October 2026
Memphis arts, Oct. 27 to Dec. 8: Spamalot at the Orpheum, The Planets Oct. 30, a new Stax exhibit, Dixon's 50th-year shows and holiday stages from Nov. 6.
Coming up
The full month- Now through Nov. 1 Spamalot
- Now through Nov. 1 Zoo Boo
- Fri. Nov. 6 TSSAA football playoffs, first round
- Nov. 6 to 8 Gold In Our Bones: A Soulsville + South City Play
- Sat. Nov. 7 Sacred Ground: Black History of Elmwood Cemetery
- Sat. Nov. 7 Nutcracker Story Time with Novel Bookstore
- Sat. Nov. 7 Sip TN Wine Fest
- Nov. 11 to 22 Byhalia, Mississippi
- Nov. 13 to 15 Memphis Zoo Lantern Festival
- Nov. 14 to 15 Opera Goes to Broadway
- Thu. Nov. 19 Memphis Songwriters Series
- Nov. 19 to 21 Graceland Holiday Lighting Weekend
Plan your weekend
Fourth of July
Memphis Fourth of July fireworks 2027
Memphis celebrates with Liberty for All, a free show with fireworks at Liberty Park, 335 S. Hollywood St. The 2026 event was July 2, 5 to 9 p.m.; 2027 details to come.
Halloween
Trick-or-treat hours in Memphis 2026
Memphis sets no official trick-or-treat hours; Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. Zoo Boo runs to 9:30 p.m. and the Tigers kick off at 7 p.m. that night.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day in Memphis 2027
Valentine's Day 2027 is Sunday, Feb. 14: the Memphis Zoo's Lanterns & L'amour Feb. 12-14, plus riverboat dinner cruises and other 2026 ideas.
Spring break
Spring break in Memphis 2027
Memphis-Shelby County Schools spring break 2027 is March 15-19, with a second break March 26 and 29. Things to do, free zoo Tuesdays and what is open.
Easter
Easter in Memphis 2027
Easter 2027 is Sunday, March 28. The Memphis Zoo's EggstravaganZOO is March 27, with Bunny Brunch on four mornings, plus church services and closings.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day in Memphis 2027
Mother's Day 2027 is Sunday, May 9. The Peabody's brunch, free admission at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, and Saturday farmers markets for gifts in Memphis.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day in Memphis 2027
Memorial Day 2027 is Monday, May 31. Memphis National Cemetery hours, what closes in Memphis, how trash pickup shifts and when city splash pads open.
Summer camps
Summer in Memphis 2027: camps, pools and splash pads
Memphis summer guide: free city day camps for ages 5 to 15, free city pools for residents, splash pad hours and the Shelby Farms Sprayground, from 2026 dates.
Father's Day
Father's Day in Memphis 2027
Father's Day 2027 is Sunday, June 20. The Memphis Zoo's Zoom & Bloom 5K June 12, The Peabody's Father/Daughter Tea, Redbirds baseball and free ideas.
Labor Day
Labor Day in Memphis 2027
Labor Day 2027 is Monday, Sept. 6. Memphis closings, how trash pickup shifts, the last weekend for city splash pads, and 901 Day on Beale the week before.
Christmas
Memphis Christmas parade 2026: Beale Street, Dec. 12
The 2026 Memphis Holiday Parade rolls down Beale Street at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 12. The downtown tree lighting date is not out yet; here is the 2025 pattern.
High school football
Memphis Friday night football 2026: records and schedule
Memphis high school football: Southwind 7-1, Fairley 7-2 and Whitehaven 6-2 in posted results; regular-season finales Oct. 29-30 and TSSAA playoffs Nov. 6.
Fall festivals
Fall festivals and pumpkin patches in Memphis 2026
Memphis fall 2026: the Mid-South Maze and Second Baptist pumpkin patch close Saturday, Oct. 31, with haunted maze nights Friday and Saturday and India Fest.
Halloween
Halloween events in Memphis 2026
Memphis Halloween 2026: Zoo Boo Thursday to Saturday, a ghost chat Oct. 29, free 901KidsFest at Tom Lee Park and downtown parties on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in Memphis 2026
Thanksgiving in Memphis is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026: the Memphis Turkey Trot at Shelby Farms at 9 a.m., library closings Nov. 26-27 and trash pickup changes.
Black Friday
Black Friday and holiday shopping in Memphis 2026
Black Friday in Memphis is Nov. 27, 2026: Wolfchase Galleria hours, Oak Court Mall closed with Dillard's still open, Small Business Saturday and markets.
Christmas lights
Holiday lights and Christmas events in Memphis 2026
Memphis holiday lights 2026: Zoo Lantern Festival from Nov. 13, Starry Nights at Shelby Farms Nov. 21 to Jan. 3, Graceland from Nov. 19, and Santa visits.
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve in Memphis 2026
New Year's Eve in Memphis 2026: free 21+ party with midnight fireworks on Beale Street, The Peabody's ball, then the Liberty Bowl parade Jan. 1 and game Jan. 2.
Brunch
Brunch in Memphis: where to go on the weekend
Weekend brunch in Memphis from restaurants' own websites: Cooper-Young, Midtown, downtown on Main Street and East Memphis, with hours, addresses and links.
Dogs
Dog-friendly Memphis: off-leash parks, trails and leash rules
Dog-friendly Memphis: the 100-acre Outback off-leash area at Shelby Farms, Overton Bark in Overton Park, leashed trails and the city's at-large and microchip rules.
Kids
Kids' activities in Memphis: playgrounds, splash pads, rainy days
Kids' activities in Memphis: Tom Lee Park's riverfront playground, Shelby Farms' Woodland Discovery, city splash pads, library story times and rainy-day museums.
Trails
Memphis walking and biking trails: Greenline, greenway, river
Memphis walking and biking trails with distances and access points: the 12.94-mile Shelby Farms Greenline, Wolf River Greenway, Big River Crossing and Old Forest.
Beale Street
A guide to Beale Street in Memphis: clubs, rules, parking
A local guide to Beale Street: the blues clubs and their addresses, the 21-and-over rule after 11 p.m., the $5 security fee nights, parking and the Brass Notes.
Live music
Live music and nightlife in Memphis: venues and where to go
Memphis live music venues with addresses and official links: the Beale Street blues clubs, the Orpheum, the Overton Park Shell, the Hi-Tone, Crosstown and rooftop bars.
Free
Free things to do in Memphis
Free things to do in Memphis: free museum days at the Civil Rights Museum, Brooks and zoo, the free Dixon, Big River Crossing, Shelby Farms and free concerts.
Date night
Date night in Memphis: dinner, theaters and late nights
Date night in Memphis from official sites: dinner at Chez Philippe or Folk's Folly, a show at the Orpheum, the Peabody rooftop and Big River Crossing until 10 p.m.
Memphis Art Museum
Memphis Art Museum opens Dec. 6: free day, hours, parking
The new Memphis Art Museum opens Sunday, Dec. 6, at 55 S. Front St. with a free grand opening day. Shelby County residents get in free; hours and parking.
Nutcracker
Memphis Nutcracker 2026: Ballet Memphis Dec. 12-20, prices
Ballet Memphis' The Nutcracker plays the Orpheum Dec. 12-20, from $38.55. Plus A Christmas Carol at Theatre Memphis, Frozen, Elf Jr. and holiday concerts.
St. Jude Memphis Marathon
St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend: dates, closures, parking
St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend is Dec. 3-5, 2026. Races start 7 and 8 a.m. Saturday downtown; in-person races are sold out. Road closures, parking.
Southern Heritage Classic
Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis: dates, tickets, tailgate
The 38th Southern Heritage Classic is Sept. 10-11, 2027, at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. 2026 game tickets were $23 to $53; tailgate, parade, bands.
Memphis in May
Memphis in May barbecue contest and River Run: dates, tickets
The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is May 12-15, 2027; the Great American River Run is May 29. Tickets, prices, parking.
Cooper-Young Festival
Cooper-Young Festival in Memphis: date, hours, music, vendors
The Cooper-Young Festival draws 130,000 people to Midtown each September. 2026 ran Sept. 19, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; the 2027 date is not out yet.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis: Jan. 2, parking, parade
The 68th AutoZone Liberty Bowl kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027, in Memphis. Teams TBA. Parking from $45, parade Jan. 1, rodeo Dec. 30.
Restaurants
Where to eat in Memphis: lists by category
Every Memphis food list in one place: wings, pizza, Mexican, barbecue, breakfast, burgers, sushi, desserts, bakeries, patios, brunch and date night.
Wings
Where to get wings in Memphis: Hickory Hill, Whitehaven and more
Wing shops in Memphis from their own websites: D'bo's, Hooters, Rayford's and the Wing Guru, from Whitehaven and Hickory Hill to Wolfchase.
Pizza
Where to get pizza in Memphis: downtown, Midtown and Cordova
Eight Memphis pizza makers with 14 locations, from South Main and Overton Square to Kirby Parkway and Cordova, with hours from each place's own site.
Mexican food
Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Memphis
Mexican and Tex-Mex places in Memphis from their own sites: Molly's La Casita in Midtown, Chukis Tacos on Poplar, plus Chipotle and Taco Bell stores.
Barbecue
Where to get barbecue in Memphis: downtown, Midtown and beyond
Six Memphis barbecue names with 15 locations, from the Rendezvous downtown to Cozy Corner, Central BBQ, Interstate, Leonard's and Tops, with hours.
Breakfast
Breakfast and coffee in Memphis: downtown, Midtown and East Memphis
Nine Memphis breakfast spots and coffee shops with 12 locations, from South Main and Broad Avenue to Summer and Poplar avenues, with posted hours.
Burgers
Where to get burgers in Memphis: downtown, Midtown and Poplar
Burgers in Memphis from five places with nine locations: Huey's, the Green Beetle, Wahlburgers at the Pyramid, Five Guys and Krystal, with posted hours.
Sushi
Sushi and Asian restaurants in Memphis: South Main to Poplar
Six sushi, ramen, Japanese and Chinese places in Memphis with eight locations, from South Main and Midtown to Poplar Avenue and Kirby Road.
Ice cream
Ice cream and desserts in Memphis: gelato, pops and snoballs
Ice cream, gelato, pops, snoballs and candy in Memphis: five shops with eight locations from South Main and Crosstown to East Memphis and Whitehaven.
Bakeries
Bakeries in Memphis: Broad Avenue, Crosstown and East Memphis
Four Memphis bakeries from their own sites: Muddy's on Broad Avenue, Lucy J's at Crosstown, LuLu's on Poplar and Frost at Laurelwood, with hours.
Patios
Patios and outdoor dining in Memphis
Four Memphis places whose own sites name a patio, deck or rooftop: Loflin Yard downtown, Aldo's in Midtown, Big Bad Breakfast and Coastal Fish Company.
